


Autumnal Shenanigans

by Withstarryeyes



Series: Soft College Boiiis [3]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Always wearing Steve's jumpers, Artist Steve, Autumn, Barista Tony Stark, F/M, Fluff, Football Player Steve, M/M, SHIELD University, Scrawny Tony, Tony-centric, barista tony, fall - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-25
Updated: 2018-09-27
Packaged: 2019-07-17 09:18:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16092647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Withstarryeyes/pseuds/Withstarryeyes
Summary: Steve can't help but love the way Tony looks when he works--oversized sweaters, mussed up hair, and cute barista apron.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys, I hope you like part 3 of this series. It is inspired by a tumblr post that is linked in the first part!  
> 11/1/18 Update: Someone made fanart of this chapter and I love it so much!! Starksnack on ao3 drew a fluffy soft Tony barista boii and it's so cute. Please go give her love!! It's linked as a related work at the bottom of the fic. Thank you!! :)

Tony gets a job at the coffee shop on campus right when fall starts. Steve thinks Tony is trying to kill him, it feels like it when he has to stop by between every class just to look at his boyfriend. He works in oversized sweaters, burnt orange and mustard yellow, sometimes burgundy, and sometimes even the soft teal one Steve got for Christmas last year. His hair is always messed up like he’s just woken up and he wears those hiking boots that drive Steve crazy. 

He imagines drawing his fingers across the single, pale, shoulder peeking out from the sweater, bunched up around Tony’s forearms, and kissing him, tasting the pumpkin spice on his tongue, and the hints of caramel coffee. He thinks about making hickeys on Tony’s neck that match his sweater. 

“Steve,” Tony says, giving him a mile wide grin when Steve reaches the front of the line. He stares at the gaps in between Tony’s teeth that make him look a little imperfect, just enough to have Steve’s heart beating rapidly in his chest. “You came back… I thought we agreed there could only be room for one caffeine addict in this relationship.”

Steve licks his lips and he doesn’t miss the way Tony’s eyes flip hungry and his devilishly wicked smile that he flashes Steve. “You came to eye-grope me didn’t you?” Steve flushes a deep red, he can feel it burning the tips of his ears. “You did, oh my god Steve.”

“You know what those sweaters do to me,” Steve explains, voice husky and dripping with need. Tony’s eyes flicker to the ground then, own cheeks growing pink. 

His eyelashes are long and curl up above his chocolate brown eyes, Steve drinks them in like water when Tony looks back up, sheepish but giddy. “I get off in a few hours, you know.” Steve gulps, nodding, dragging his eyes down that scandalous shoulder that he wants to bite, wants to suck the tops of them until they’re red. 

“Oh my god, go Steve. You can eye-fuck me from the nook over there with the cozy chairs. Do you actually want a drink?”

Steve chuckles a little at Tony’s animated pointing and pulls out his wallet. “Yes, please. I’ll take a hot earl grey.”

He watches Tony make it with deft fingers, watches him add the cream and stir it in before tacking on a lid and sliding it across the counter. Steve grabs it from Tony before he can take his hand off, and drags a few of his fingers across Tony’s knuckles. 

“I get off soon,” Tony promises before he gets sucked back into the line of customers waiting for their caffeine fix. 

It’s not a bad place to wait, Steve notices when he takes Tony’s advice and sits in one of the old, grey chairs in the corner by the windows. There’s a lot of natural light and he can see Tony working, fabric rippling off him like waves, and his apron tied haphazardly across his waist. He’s got an art project due next week, a portrait actually, and Steve was planning on drawing Tony anyway. He just thought it’d be in their apartment, a screenshot of Tony in his room, designing robots, the only light the small, dim lamp, on the side-table. But he likes this subject a lot better and he pulls out his pastels and a fresh sheet, picking out the autumn colors and angling himself so he can watch Tony for reference. 

He captures it perfectly. The fresh stubble on Tony’s chin, the light magenta glint across his eyes from the neon sign at the front of the shop, the way his eyes crinkle when he’s talking to a particular customer. He draws Tony in an oversized sweater but he makes it coffee themed and light tan and his foregoes the apron to draw Tony carrying a cup of coffee, smiling as if Steve had taken a photo of him outside of a shop or on a stroll. It’s beautiful and Steve thinks it might be the best thing he’s drawn in weeks. The light has started to fade from outside and Steve watches the leaves fall from trees in maroon pinwheels as the golden light seeps across the buildings, cresting into the shop in amber shadows and the imprint of glass. 

He almost wishes he had his camera, his arms ache from the portrait and he doesn’t want to draw a landscape, but somehow, with the soft coffee shop music behind him, he’s content to just people watch. Nat and Clint are winding their way across the quad, hands clasped together. Nat’s fiery curls peek out from her grey beanie and Clint’s wearing a matching Henley. They see him through the window and wave and Steve smiles, getting up to meet them at the door. 

Tony meets him there too, and places a hand over his shoulder, smiling when Nat and Clint walk in. “Hey, guys, I’m off so you’ll have to bribe the other baristas to get free coffee but you’re free to join Steve and I for dinner.” He looks at Steve, nervously asking if it’s okay. It is, it _ so _ is, just for the look of peace on Tony’s face and the knowledge that at the end of the night Steve gets to sleep in Tony’s bed, and he gets to watch him strip that sweater off his torso. 

Nat laughs, and nods. “We were just about to drag you guys out for burgers. And you,” she points a manicured finger at Tony, “need to help me with the weekend math problems.”

“It’s a deal,” Tony laughs and Steve can’t hold it in anymore, he leans in and pecks Tony on the cheek, reveling in the surprised chuckle that rips from Tony’s mouth and the tilt of Tony’s mouth to fully kiss him. “I think this one’s hungry, come on, we should get those burgers before he swallows me whole.”Steve jokingly nips at Tony’s ear. 


	2. Chapter 2

The booths are red worn leather and Steve sighs when they slide in, taking off his jacket. Tony nabs it from his fingers and shoves his sweater-clad arms in them, curling the collar around the bottom of his face. 

“Cold,” Tony whines and Steve laughs, pulling Tony closer by wrapping an arm around him. 

“You’re wearing a sweater and Steve’s varsity jacket how are you cold?” Clint says, hands on the menu. 

Tony shrugs, “Just am, besides I need excuses to touch this bad boy.” Steve flushes a deep crimson and bats at Tony’s head, own smile peeking out at the first bubble of Tony’s laugh. “Hey, I’m not the one-- hey!” He lets out another squeal of laughter as Steve tries to push him down the booth, “I’m not the one that was eye-fucking my boyfriend at his place of business.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Steve says and counts the number of perfectly crooked teeth in Tony’s wide smile. 

“Sure you don’t, Cap.”

They get the same thing they always do, salted curly fries and cheeseburgers, one oreo milkshake with two straws. Clint and Nat wear twin smirks when the waitress doesn’t even ask for Steve and Tony’s order but just takes their menus and says she’ll be back soon. 

Steve watches as Tony and Nat pull out their homework, and Tony holds the pencil in between his teeth, lip getting smudged with graphite, as his eyes scan over the symbols. Clint and him talk about the next game and the plays. They’re coming up on the biggest games of the season against the Fantastic 4, or really the 4 science academies around them. 

Clint goes to fiddle around with the beat-up jukebox in the corner and Steve turns his full attention on Tony. His eyebrow is creased in that way it does when he’s fully concentrated and his nibbling at his perfect pink lips. He’s got a smudge of graphite on his cheekbone and the smell of coffee wafts over the second he moves even a little. He looks gorgeous, swaddled in Steve’s jacket, jeans a high-waisted acid wash that fits Tony’s legs like a glove. Nat sees him staring and the corner of her mouth lifts, he shrugs and the whole incident is over before Tony even realizes it. 

Clint slides back in when the first opening notes of a new song float out, arching across the air, to swirl in the light breeze from the AC. The waitress comes and places down their orders, with an extra side of fries for Steve. She’s seen how much he can pack in.

After they’re all done, Clint and Nat say goodbye and climb into their car, off to watch some horror flick. Steve waits the 30 seconds until he can’t see their tail lights anymore and pulls Tony close to him, pressing his lips on him. 

“I’ve been waiting all day to do that.” Tony hums happily and pulls him back in. Steve pins him to the brick wall, arms caging him in, and Tony drags a couple of hands down his side, up under his shirt and across his stomach. Their kissing amps up until they’re raggedly breathing, and holding onto each other like as stiff wind could push them down. The light’s long gone and Steve can only appreciate Tony in the soft glow of the street lamp, eyes tired and drooping, nose perfectly sloped. And it’s like it all clicks into place because he’s thought it before but it was never so obvious. He loves Tony, loves him, and he needs him to know. 

They grab hot chocolate on their way home and sip it, hand in hand, down the trail back to their apartment. It’s nice here, between the hustle and bustle of day and the soft pattering of night. He concentrates on their footsteps, solid on the path, and the warmth seeping out from Tony’s palm. His heart is pounding against his chest, ecstatic about his realization. He wonders when he should tell Tony, if he should let it slip out randomly when he feels the need, or if he should plan it. 

“Steve, look!” Tony’s voice pulls him from his dilemma and he sees the brief flash of a squirrel darting in front of them, acorn clenched in its mouth. “He’s zooming.”

And Steve knows, with heart fluttering with the pure joy on Tony’s face, in his doe eyes and the goofy, soft smile, arching across his chin that he has to say it now. He must.

He can see their apartment coming up but just before they get there, Steve stops, savoring every moment of the amused confusion that blooms on Tony’s face. 

“What are you doing? I’m cold, let’s get home.” He shakes his head and Tony steps closer, cautiously.

“I have to say something first.” He presses his forehead to Tony’s, noses connected at the tips, and stares into his soulful eyes. “Anthony Stark, I’m in love with you. Desperately.”

All the confusion bleeds out of Tony’s eyes to be replaced with surprise, and then painfully bright joy. “You do?” Steve kisses him in reply. Because he does, he really really does. 

“I love you too,” Tony says when they finally pull apart.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I have one more of these already written and I will upload it tomorrow (9/26) but please please let me know if you want more and if you do what you want to see. I love taking prompts and comments and kudos always help me gauge interest. Thank you for all the feedback so far!!
> 
> Love,  
> -C

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Fanart for "Autumnal Shenangians" by withstarryeyes](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16483148) by [starksnack](https://archiveofourown.org/users/starksnack/pseuds/starksnack)




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